Imagine waking up with native-level fluency in any language you choose: no classes, no apps, no awkward practice conversations. The catch? Each language costs you a finger. Yes, you read that right. If immensely valuable knowledge came at such a cost, what would be meaningful enough to sacrifice for: connection, culture, or sheer worldly curiosity?

In today’s episode of 24 Days of Reflection, we weigh value against cost and dive into a wildly hypothetical dilemma as we explore the following thought experiment: you can acquire any language you want at the level of a native overnight, but you have to cut a finger off for each one. Which language(s) do you choose and why?

Don’t Be a Stranger!

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As always, we’d love to know: what language(s) would you be willing to lose a finger for if you could achieve native proficiency overnight? Share your thoughts and musings with us at [email protected] or leave a comment wherever you’re listening.

References

Question Source: The Bald & The Beautiful with Trixie and Katya

Sound Credits: see ⁠here